Technology Quarterly. (2014, March 8)
Copyright Laws
As with any new technology it opens up a world of new possibilities for industries, but can often be a double- edged sword especially with copyright laws and 3- D printing. It stands to transform technology and society for the better but often run into ethical dilemmas. Copyright laws provide that and content used as part of a production must have written permission agreeing that their work can be included in the production or be copyrighted (Stanford, 2004). This includes songs, movies, TV shows, photographs, commercial photography, moving images and websites. Through often violated by many worldwide there are legal standards about how these violations should be addressed. There are limitations given when one buys or is given copyrighted work, these often limit use of the product. Current copyright terms were governed by the federal copyright act of 1976. These terms grant authors and artist the exclusive right to make and sell copies of their work, and the right to perform or display their work publicly (Wikipedia).
Copyright laws apply to 3-D printing and printing products, the terms for 3D printing usually deal with software or CAD files (computer-aided design). If these are used without permission then the user can be subject to legal ramifications. Some ethical dilemmas are product royalties, copycats/ knockoff name brands products that are being produced illegally. A 3D printer can be purchased by anyone and is more affordable now than when they first came out. So falling into the wrong hands dangerous ethical dilemmas can occur, criminals printing money, and drug paraphernalia. 3D printing overall is changing our world in a variety of fields some being bad and causing ethical dilemmas and others helping such as construction, automotive, aerospace, dental and medical industries and education (Kaur, 2012). 3D printing has allowed multiple industries to become more efficient and environmentally friendly.
The digital millennium copyright act (DMCA) became effective in 2000. This act covers a number of different issues by setting limitations on copyright infringement and the difficulty in dealing with certain challenges of regulating digital material. Its intent is to protect both the consumer and the copyright owners. Upon deeper inspection the acts initial purpose was to prevent such software that would allow encryption, reverse engineering, and circumventing security systems.
Utilitarianism is the fundamental principle that an action is considered right or correct, if it is useful or beneficial for the majority. 3-D printing has allowed multiple disciplines of business to advance not only in the time it takes to produce items for consumers, but also the quality and design of the product. Thus, it follows the principle of utilitarianism by bringing quality products and saving time for business and personal use. Through the use of copyright laws, rights are protected on a personal or business level, thus allowing success with a unique identifier. This identifier may be a product or service specific to a company or individual. In this sense copy right laws preserve utilitarianism and help success by continually forcing change and competition. Duty based ethics is an obligation of doing what is considered morally correct, such as doing the right thing. For instance, you see someone who has dropped their phone or purse and you are obligated to return it to them. Duty based ethics pertain to copyright laws and 3-D printing because the amount of debate on infringement and how often these services are being copied in a non-ethical acquisition. They are both being illegally copied and used to sell cheaper. Pirating of movies, music, books, devices and many other interests are a clear violation of laws that have been set in place, making it clear that people are not utilitarian or follow duty based ethics.
Copyright laws apply to 3-D printing and printing products, the terms for 3D printing usually deal with software or CAD files (computer-aided design). If these are used without permission then the user can be subject to legal ramifications. Some ethical dilemmas are product royalties, copycats/ knockoff name brands products that are being produced illegally. A 3D printer can be purchased by anyone and is more affordable now than when they first came out. So falling into the wrong hands dangerous ethical dilemmas can occur, criminals printing money, and drug paraphernalia. 3D printing overall is changing our world in a variety of fields some being bad and causing ethical dilemmas and others helping such as construction, automotive, aerospace, dental and medical industries and education (Kaur, 2012). 3D printing has allowed multiple industries to become more efficient and environmentally friendly.
The digital millennium copyright act (DMCA) became effective in 2000. This act covers a number of different issues by setting limitations on copyright infringement and the difficulty in dealing with certain challenges of regulating digital material. Its intent is to protect both the consumer and the copyright owners. Upon deeper inspection the acts initial purpose was to prevent such software that would allow encryption, reverse engineering, and circumventing security systems.
Utilitarianism is the fundamental principle that an action is considered right or correct, if it is useful or beneficial for the majority. 3-D printing has allowed multiple disciplines of business to advance not only in the time it takes to produce items for consumers, but also the quality and design of the product. Thus, it follows the principle of utilitarianism by bringing quality products and saving time for business and personal use. Through the use of copyright laws, rights are protected on a personal or business level, thus allowing success with a unique identifier. This identifier may be a product or service specific to a company or individual. In this sense copy right laws preserve utilitarianism and help success by continually forcing change and competition. Duty based ethics is an obligation of doing what is considered morally correct, such as doing the right thing. For instance, you see someone who has dropped their phone or purse and you are obligated to return it to them. Duty based ethics pertain to copyright laws and 3-D printing because the amount of debate on infringement and how often these services are being copied in a non-ethical acquisition. They are both being illegally copied and used to sell cheaper. Pirating of movies, music, books, devices and many other interests are a clear violation of laws that have been set in place, making it clear that people are not utilitarian or follow duty based ethics.